Thomas Nicholas Redington facts for kids

Sir Thomas Nicholas Redington (born October 2, 1815 – died October 11, 1862) was an important figure in Irish public life. He worked as an administrator, a politician, and a civil servant. He was also honored as a Knight Commander of the Bath, which is a special award given for great service to the country.

Thomas Redington was born in Kilcornan, Clarenbridge, County Galway, Ireland. His father, Christopher Talbot Redington, was an army captain. Thomas went to school at Oscott College and later at Christ's College, Cambridge. However, because he was a Roman Catholic, he wasn't able to officially get a degree from Cambridge at that time.

Early Political Career

Redington decided to focus on politics. In 1837, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Dundalk. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the government's law-making body. He was part of the Whig political group, which was one of the main political parties in Britain and Ireland at the time. He served as an MP until 1846.

Helping Ireland

In 1846, Thomas Redington was given a very important job: Under-Secretary of State for Ireland. This meant he helped run the government in Ireland. The next year, he also became a commissioner for national education, working to improve schools.

He played a big role during the Great Famine in Ireland, which was a terrible time when many people suffered from hunger. Redington was part of a special group called Sir John Burgoyne's relief commission. He worked hard to help people during this crisis. For his excellent work, he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1849. This happened soon after Queen Victoria visited Ireland for the first time.

Later, from 1852 to 1856, he worked as a secretary for the Board of Control, which oversaw affairs in India. After that, he became a commissioner investigating mental health hospitals in Ireland, working to improve conditions there.

Family Life

In 1842, Thomas Redington married Anne Eliza Mary Talbot. She was the daughter of John Hyacinth Talbot, who was also a Member of Parliament. Thomas Redington lived at Kilcornan House in Ireland, but he passed away in London in 1862 when he was 47 years old.